1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control technique for permitting users to log into an information processing apparatus and to operate the apparatus in an environment corresponding to the users.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, as information security has become a matter of great concern, many terminals adopt a technique for controlling accesses to various information, such as a file, a folder, etc.
It is obviously important to control accesses to various information processing apparatuses such as MFPs (Multifunction Peripherals), since various functions (conventional basic functions, such as copying, scanning, printing, storing and displaying documents) are added to the MFPs.
The recent MFPs include a function that permits a user to log in upon individual authentication before operating the MFP. In this case, the individual authentication is accomplished by controlling a card reader to read information of each individual's ID card. If the authentication is successful, the user is provided with an access right for an operation using the MFP. That is, using the MFP, the user can access various objects, such as a file, folder and the like, and further can read, edit and send the objects, only using the provided access right. Such objects are provided inside the MFP or on a network connected to the MFP.
In this regard, recent MFPs have the same system as log-in control and access control for personal computers. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-110549 discusses a control technique for logging into or accessing a personal computer.
As described above, the MFP can scan, print, store and display a document. Thus, it is required that the MFP be a tool used for executing business matters without using a personal computer.
For example, the MFP can be installed in a place, such as a meeting room or a consulting room where people get together, thereby serving as a tool for the meeting or consultation. The MFP can freely retrieve a document or data therefrom, display the retrieved data so as to show it to participants of the meeting, store a result of the examination done by the participants based on the displayed data, and distribute the stored information to each participant.
However, like a personal computer, if one user logs into the conventional MFP, another user cannot log in until the one user logs out. Thus, if one user logs in, the user can simply access a file or folder on a network or inside the MFP, only within the range of the user's access right.
Even if the MFP is intended to be used as described above, any user other than the one logged in user cannot freely access a file or folder not within the range of the other user's access right. In this case, all participants cannot store a file in the MFP, examine the stored file, and store the examined file in the individuals' holders. That is, the conventional MFP cannot sufficiently serve as a tool for carrying out the business tasks. Therefore, it is expected that there will be provided an access control technique for accessing an object and for realizing the above utilization.
The same problem occurs for an MFP and for a personal computer, etc., operating the above processing.